Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,054 (the '054 patent) discloses a camera which can be loaded with a discrete filmstrip having an essentially arbitrary number of frames selected by a customer. The '054 patent also discloses methods of using such a camera. The disclosure of the '054 patent is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. The filmstrip can be loaded into the camera through a slot in the body of the camera and scrolled within an unexposed film chamber. During use of the camera, a film advancing sprocket of the camera is used to move the film frame by frame to an exposed film chamber. After exposure, the film can be driven from the camera through the same slot used for loading or through a separate slot used only for unloading. Light-tight closures are provided for the load and unload slots.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,628,032; 5,630,178; 5,649,258; 5,655,155; and 5,675,835 disclose improved features of such cameras, plus a compact apparatus and methods useful for loading such cameras. The disclosures of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. When the customer wishes to rent such a camera, the retailer places an empty camera in the apparatus, enters information about the customer and the number of frames selected by the customer, and then operates the apparatus to load the camera as instructed. After exposure of the filmstrip, the customer returns to the camera to the retailer, who places the camera in the apparatus where the filmstrip is removed and placed in a transfer cartridge for delivery to a film processor and printer.
While the camera and the apparatus described in the commonly assigned patents and in the related applications have many advantageous features, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus for vending such cameras at which the customer could enter directly the appropriate information about a selected number of frames of film of a desired type, a desired type of camera, and, if appropriate, instructions for photofinishing. The customer then would pay a fee determined by the apparatus and receive the camera. Preferably, the apparatus would be capable of loading cameras with various types of films and of communicating with cassettes of such films to confirm that the film is acceptable for loading. The customer could rent or purchase a camera. Later the customer could return to the apparatus to have the rented or purchased camera unloaded, reloaded, or just tested. Preferably, the camera would include features for self-testing and for storing information and communicating with the apparatus regarding camera characteristics and customer selections. It would also be desirable if such an apparatus could be connected directly to a film processor and printer to facilitate return of prints to the customer.